Dawn Arnold, Brian Hicks in race to be Moncton's next mayor

After much speculation that Coun.Dawn Arnold would win the job as the next mayor of Moncton by acclamation, Coun. Brian Hicks decided to throw his hat into the ring on Friday.

The two city councilors both say they are worried about the future of Moncton.

Arnold says with a 17-year old son heading to university in the fall, she wonders whether he will return home.

"I'm worried about these kids and their ability to be able to come back and I'm also worried about their desire to come back to our city," Arnold said in an interview onInformation Morning Moncton on Monday.

"I think we need a vision to create a dynamic, vibrant city that creates jobs and that's a talent magnet."

Hicks says for him the election is about the citizens of Moncton feeling that their voices are heard, particularly when Moncton is facing so many challenges in the next four years.

"Just on the financial side alone, the city's net debt is increasing from $67 million in 2017 to $191 million in 2020," Hicks said.

"Your interest payments are going up by almost $4 million just in one year and we have to cut a cheque for the downtown centre, and a new police station."

New investment key to future

Both Hicks and Arnold believe they can guide the city through the next four years.

Hicks sayshis past battles areproof that he will go to bat for taxpayers, citing acontroversial parking deal the City of Monctonsigned that could have givenRogers call centre employees free parking for up to 50years.

"Then council finally decided to let me go in and negotiate with the developer and I was able to get the city out of the last 14 years of that deal with no cost to them, saving the taxpayers over $7 million," Hicks said.

Arnold, who is chair of the Downtown RevitalizationCommittee,says she will bring jobs to the city by continuing to focus on the development of the downtown.

"We've put in place some really important incentives that have been picked up by developers to allow them to revitalize and renovate buildings in our downtownI think we're on the cusp of great things right now," Arnoldsaid.

"I see the downtown centre as a bookend to Downing Plaza at the other end where we've invested $3.3 million to finally create a conduit to our beautiful river."

Hicks does not support the new downtown centre and is focused onmakingsure it is completed on time and on budget.

Withso many big ticket items to pay for, he believes his top priority as mayor would be to bring in newinvestors.

"As the mayor, I would look at my job as the number one salesperson for theCity of Moncton. We have to get out there, promote our city, promote the downtown, promote the bilingual workforce we have."